ARTIST

Jeff THomson

Jeff Thomson

Mahoe Leaf, 2017Corrugated iron, paint2400mm x 800mm$5,400.00

We currently have two Mahoe Leaf sculptures for sale.

Corrugated iron is the very essence of Jeff Thomson’s working life; he can warp it, manipulate it, delicately fold it, make it dance in his hands. With Mahoe, Thomson transforms his signature industrial material into a lace like delicate skeletal leaf form, inspired from the found Mahoe leaves that fall on the sculpture trail.

Mahoe fits in to an oeuvre of work inspired by Thomson’s keen eye for objects permeating his surroundings, an interest that first began while walking the small towns and rural roads of New Zealand. Noting and collecting the abundance of highway paraphernalia that littered the roadside, these highway experiences culminated in what would be a life-long interest in the objects we seem to step over, just like the Mahoe leaf.

Thomson has changed the popular perception of corrugated iron, and it is now seen, not just as a building material, but as an art form as well. Certainly, Mahoe has a level of fragile detail, along with the careful application of paint dotted sporadically throughout the work, that reimagines the harsh utility of the material. Thomson is often spoke of us the single-handed force behind the elevation of wrought iron; taking it off the roof and on to the artistic pedestal. As Thomson himself has said: ”I grind it, I curve it, I stack it, I cut it, I print on it, I even chop the iron into strips and weave it. I’m always conscious of finding new ways of working and using the material.”